Republicans Gary Bauer, Steve Forbes, Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah, Alan Keyes and Sen. John McCain of Arizona completed the survey by Project Vote Smart, a nonpartisan voter education group that asks questions of candidates and helps the public research issues, voting records and statements.

The responses are available on the group's Web site and through a toll-free phone number and free booklet.

Vote Smart officials expressed disappointment that the survey was not answered by the other major declared candidates -- Democrats Al Gore and Bill Bradley, Pat Buchanan of the Reform Party and Republican George W. Bush.

"In a free self-governing society the most precious bit of knowledge a citizen can possess is an awareness of their leaders' intentions," said Peggy Lampl, national chairwoman. "It's a shame some of the candidates seem to believe that the axiom 'knowledge is power' doesn't apply."

Some of the campaigns that did not fill out the survey said they found the multiple-choice format confining. Vote Smart said it would have accepted short summaries on the questions in the candidates' own words.

Although the candidates are already on record on many of the major issues explored, the survey, known as the National Political Awareness Test, brought to the surface some positions less frequently discussed in the campaign and put everything together in 22 subject areas.

For example:

• McCain supported restoring the eligibility of legal immigrants for some of the aid they lost in welfare reforms. He also backed normal trade relations with Vietnam, where he was held as a prisoner of war, and said federal regulation of Internet content could raise troubling constitutional issues.

• Bauer was among candidates saying they would encourage employers to offer flexible scheduling, time off as compensation for overtime and unpaid leave for family emergencies, and he said English should be the nation's official language.

• Forbes backed the position that aid should be eliminated for any nation with documented human rights abuses, although he
• like other candidates
• would not withdraw full diplomatic relations with a country on that basis alone. On campaign finance, he supported removing all contribution limits on federal candidates and parties while requiring immediate disclosure on the Internet.

• Hatch was alone in saying the United States should not recognize and have full diplomatic relations with Taiwan, although McCain did not answer that question. Hatch also said the United States should keep troops in Kosovo without a deadline, because "the U.S. should not indicate to our enemies when it will withdraw."

• Keyes would greatly increase spending on most military programs, eliminate the earned income tax credit and get rid of income taxes in favor of a national sales tax.